Priviate MD

What do you feel about Online Lab Tests?

I’m looking around PrivateMDLabs.com and you can use the site for basically EVERYTHING. There’s the ability to get the proper supplies for STD testing, direct-to-consumer lab tests, HIV testing, Liver Testing, Drug Testing, Herpes Testing and even Anti-aging testing. I don’t know why but I found this to be a wee-bit strange. Mainly because I’ve never heard of anything like this before.

The benefit to all of this, naturally, is the ability to privately get yourself, a loved one or even a potential employee tested for something rather important but at the same time – is there ANYTHING that can’t be done from home anymore? Based on what I’ve read, it’s also a financial benefit as well. Approximately 35% of the US population is uninsured and going to an actual doctors office to get these tests can be rather expensive. Going through this particular company, or any private company I would imagine, is more than likely going to save you a bit of money in the end.

Test results no longer come in the mail, or via phone service. You’re now given your results over email. This is why one would consider going through a Private MD. I’ll be the first to tell you that doctors are over paid for their services, especially considering the nurses (in many cases) are the ones doing the real work (hospital wise). A doctor walking around randomly checking charts and giving recommendations for $250,000 a year is absolutely absurd in comparison to the $50,000 a nurse is making when they’re the ones helping to change the sheets, constantly check the machines and make sure the patients themselves are comfortable. I’d take a nurses position over an actual doctor any day, but this is a completely different post that could easily exceed 5,000 words if I ever went to write it up.

Moving right along…

I do respect anonymity and those interested in saving a dollar but seriously, the only real way (that I know of) to test your Liver is a stool sample, and that alone just grosses me out. The HIV/STD tests, I can understand those, especially the drug testing. But I would assume that it would be easier to see an actual doctor when it comes to things like cholesterol testing and blood-testing in general. I’m the kind of person who would leave that kind of thing up to the professionals (and yes, I mean the nurses) even though I’d be spending a bit more.